SONIC
PILOT FILM SEQUENCES: Footage from the film produced to sell the
ADVENTURES
OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG series. I wrote the ‘cactus cannon’ sequence,
storyboarded & did layout on the rest, animated scenes throughout.
Additional scenes animated by renowned Disney/MGM animator Ed Love (from
my layouts & designs)! No music or sound efx.

SSSSS
SQUAD: Rushes from the first official Sonic
episode, replete with splices and cel mistakes; without music and sound
efx. Storyboard & layout by me, as well as the designs for exterior
& interiors of Robotnik’s lair.

MARS
NEEDS FELIX: Overseas rushes from my first directed short for THE
TWISTED TALES OF FELIX THE CAT series. Without music, sound
efx and (thankfully) dialogue added by producer Film Roman later on.

BAD
PLUMBING: A short from Saban's MOUSE &
THE MONSTER series, storyboarded by yours truly.

ALBERT
&
EINSTEIN: A public safety spot directed & animated (and just
about everything else) for Baer Animation. No sound.

8/28/07: Also on YouTube: Now that it's on DVD (see below),
one SuperYoshi has posted my ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
interview
HERE!

1/29/09: ...and now, my Robotnik
drawing demonstration, done at the same session as the interview but on
Volume Two of the DVD, can be viewed HERE!

COOL WORLD

"The
best characters(..)are the hyperactive, violent cartoon figures
who constantly intrude."-Michael J. Weldon, The Psychotronic Video
Guide.In New York, summer
of '89, Ralph Bakshi commissioned two development paintings for an unspecified
project. I did them (here's one), and that
was the end of that...until my 1991 move to Los Angeles . Three days after
my arrival, visiting a friend at the Bakshi studio, Ralph hired me to design
and animate background characters for this film, by then well into its
chaotic production. Here is a selection of designs and layout drawings
done during my stay; some were used, some were not.

Click image for a full view
of the first page of a gift from Ralph Bakshi: a volume of Roy Crane's
comic strip, Wash Tubbs.

THE
ADVENTURES OFSONIC
THE HEDGEHOGIn addition to
doing storyboards, background layout, and various other duties on this
program (a DIC production), I also designed its own incarnation of Dr.
Robotnik, who I had conceived as animation's sexiest fat man. ("Robotnik's
buttocks weave sensuously", read one of my storyboard directions.)The overseas animators
were rarely up to the challenge. But "Heir of Blair", a fan of the program,
did write to theYESTERDAYLAND MEMORIES
site (no longer up):

"Does
anyone remember the episode where Robotnik is playing the organ, and his
butt is wabbling like jello!! I LAUGHED SOOOOOOOOOOOO HARD with my friends
when I saw that."

I concieved
the action on that scene. Little things like this help make the life worthwhile...

Hello, Mr. Knight.I saw this
clip from The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog a while ago, and when
I saw it, the first thing to come to my mind was your model sheet of Dr.
Robotnik.(2/9/07: Dan has posted a newer,
compact version of this sequence!)Just by looking at that scene, I can tell you had
a big partanimating/drawing it. The weird thing about that scene is that
it has absolutely nothing to do with the episode's storyline, and it has
better, funnier animation than the rest of the episode. Because it feels
so out of place, I assume it was originally created for another episode.
Is there some sort of story behind this scene?-Dan

My answer:

Hi, Dan;Yes! I wrote, laid out and animated that sequence
for the show's pilot film, and was 'til now unaware that it had been incorporated
into a televised episode. Thanks for letting me know! I am pleased that
you were actually able to spot my work in motion.Best Wishes,Milt

Moral:IT
PAYS TO ANIMATE STATESIDE.(Unless you're getting it for free.)

2/9/07: Series producer Kent Butterworth tells me this:
When the agent from Sega was questioned on the 'appropriateness' of Robotnik's
prominent rear end, he responded: "Sex $ells!" (I like him!)

To read NIGHT LIFE IN MOBIUS,
a story synopsis I submitted for this series,
CLICK
HERE!

Now out from Shout! Factory:THE
ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, the first in a projected 3 DVD set
of the complete series. As an extra, Yours Truly makes an on-camera appearance,
firstly in an interview covering those Wonderful Days of DIC, and secondly,
to give a mini-lesson on How to Draw That Hedgehog! Interested parties
can get more details Shout-ed from the Horse's Mouth
HERE!

12/9/08: The release date for Shout!
Factory's second volume of THE ADVENTURES OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG has
been released. The volume includes the episode "Zoobotnik" (my personal
favorite), and has my Robotnik drawing demonstration as an extra! More
informationHERE.